238 Salmon Fishing. 



To describe the scene that ensued, beyond 

 giving a slight sketch of it, is utterly out of my 

 power. For some time was it all hurry, scurry, 

 only diversified with a brief exchange of words 

 with my attendant, when the faintest lull in the 

 fight would admit of it. 



So rapidly had I to run every now and then,, 

 to keep at all within distance of the fleet 

 fugitive, that my stock of breath was almost 

 exhausted. All the while, be it remembered, 

 was I compelled to clutch hold of stray branches 

 of trees, to enable me to keep my footing, and 

 prevent them from brushing against my face. 

 So uneven too was the bottom, and overspread 

 with round stones that, what with stumbling 

 over one, and almost tripped up by another, I 

 could just manage to hold the rod in my right 

 hand, and no more. Down all the time kept the 

 fish descending, carried doubtless against his 

 will, by the irresistible force of the current. 



I had long since felt the cold water trickling 

 down my legs inside the wading stockings, and 



